March 27, 2026 Newsletter

Dear Patriot Families,

Have a wonderful spring break! When we return from break, it will be the last week of the third quarter. It’s a great time to plan for a strong finish to the quarter. Thanks for your ongoing support and engagement.

Sincerely,

Dr. Kevin Clark

Principal

In this message: 

• What’s Happening at Yorktown
• Counseling Corner
• Activities Updates
• Senior Updates
• Technology Corner
• Upcoming Dates

WHAT’S HAPPENING AT YORKTOWN

Congratulations Yorktown Choirs and Music Program

Two weeks ago, the Yorktown Choirs participated in their annual assessment performances:

• Yorktown Singers, Advanced Choir, earned straight Superior ratings at the Virginia Music Educators Association (VMEA) District 12 Assessment.
• Yorktown Chamber Choir earned a Superior rating at the VMEA District 12 Assessment.
• Yorktown Treble Choir earned an Excellent rating at the VMEA District 12 Assessment

Congratulations to the Yorktown Music Department, once again earning Virginia Music Educators Association Blue Ribbon Award for the 5th year in a row for superior ratings in all three of our top ensembles in Band, Choir, and Orchestra.

PTSA-Sponsored Spring Fling Information – Saturday, April 11 

The PTSA-sponsored Spring Fling Dance will be held on Saturday, April 11, from 7:30 to 10:00 p.m. at Yorktown, taking place in the atrium and courtyard, and will feature a DJ and refreshments. Tickets will be $10, sold in person at lunches during the week of April 6-10.

Ready to make a splash? 🌊 Yorktown Performing Arts invites you to go under the sea with Disney’s The Little Mermaid! 🧜‍♀️✨

Experience the songs you love, the characters you adore, and a wave of high school talent like you’ve never seen before. From “Part of Your World” to “Under the Sea,” it’s going to be a fin-tastic night for the whole family!

📍 Where: Yorktown Auditorium

📅 When: April 23, 7:00 pm, April 24 7:00 pm, April 25 2:00 and 7:00 pm

🎟️ Tickets: Grab yours at www.yhstheatre.org/tickets-shows before they’re gone!

Good Luck Arlington Indoor Percussion and Yorktown Color Guard

The Arlington Indoor Percussion, composed of students from all three high schools and several middle schools, and the Yorktown Color Guard will compete this weekend in the Atlantic Indoor Championships this weekend in Hampton, VA.

April is the Month of the Military Child

Recognizing that we have a lot of military connected families here at Yorktown, we have some special events and activities planned for the month of April.  April 15th is Purple Up Day, and students and staff are encouraged to wear purple in support of military connected students and their families.

COUNSELING CORNER

Possible Change in Counselor Caseload Assignments for 2026-27

The counseling department is considering a change in student counseling assignments for next school year 2026-27. This proposal would ensure that families have one counselor for multiple students, while also balancing counselors’ caseloads based on student populations, needs, and grade-level workload. After spring break there will be a committee of stakeholders to review the proposal and provide feedback and a recommendation to the administration for a final decision. More information to follow.

Advisory Information

There will be no Tuesday advisory lesson due to the end of the quarter. Students can report to any classroom Monday-Friday for academic support.

Dual Enrollment (DE) Course Registration Coming Soon

If your student has requested to take a dual-enrolled (DE) class next school year, they will need to do a separate registration for these courses. Students will receive assistance with the NOVA enrollment process here at Yorktown the week of April 14th – 17th, in the cafeteria. They will be notified at a later date which day and time they are scheduled to attend. If your student is unable to make their appointed time, they can contact their counselor to arrange an alternate appointment.

Since these are college courses, it is the students’ responsibility to ensure that they successfully complete the steps to application and registration. Parents can expect to receive communication from NOVA (via email or text) that requests their consent for their student to apply and enroll in the course. This is a required part of enrollment.More detailed information, including instructions, will be sent to individual families the week of April 6th.

MP3 Grading Calendar

Friday, April 10th is the last day of the third marking period.  Report cards will be viewable in Student/ParentVue beginning Monday, April 20th at 10:00am.

Changes to Course Requests

If students wish to make a change to the courses they requested for next school year, they should complete this Change Course Request form.  Changes will be made mostly in the order in which they’re received, while also prioritizing missing classes or required credits first.  Please note that changes based on teachers or class periods will not be considered.  At this point in the year, the change will be made in our student information system (Synergy) and will not be visible on the course plan in SchooLinks.  We are working on the ability for parents to be able to see course requests in ParentVue (Synergy).

Save the Date: Junior Post-Secondary Planning Night

The Counseling Department will virtually host Junior Night for Post-Secondary Planning on Tuesday, April 14th, 2026, at 7:00 PM.  This event is for families of current 11th graders.During this session, we will cover important topics including college and career research, standardized testing, and letters of recommendation to help students prepare for their post-secondary plans.  We will also have college admissions representatives available for a Q & A session.

The virtual meeting link will be shared one week prior to the event. We hope you are able to attend, but if you cannot join us live, the meeting will be recorded and made available on our website or through your student’s counselor.

DIVERSITY, EQUITY, AND INCLUSION UPDATES

Emerging Leaders Program

The Emerging Leaders Program (ELP) is excited to return to Yorktown High School this year and to offer our programs once again to Yorktown students. We’re pleased to announce that we will be offering both levels of our Emerging Leaders Program (ELP I) for the Spring Session, and we would love to invite your students to apply! Our programs are open to all student populations, and we’re proud to offer support and services in both English and Spanish to ensure accessibility for students and families from diverse backgrounds.

ELP I is a free, five-week Leadership and College Readiness Program open to high school students in grades 9–12. The goal is to create a fun and engaging space where students and families can explore college and career pathways together. The program includes:

• Leadership skill-building
• College readiness support
• Career exploration
• Opportunities for scholarships and college tours

Workshops will be starting the week of April 13th (two weeks after spring break). Please encourage your students to register now to ensure they are added to the official WhatsApp group chat where students will receive more details about Kick-Off, meeting location, important dates, and scholarships. Use this link to help students register today: https://docs.google.com/forms/u/1/d/e/1FAIpQLSc73M4N_ayoTXUyYtP6BDtcYWZtpU4gqjBD_4ct5SxpLBvs4Q/viewform.

ACTIVITIES UPDATES

Congratulations Color Guard Coach

Thanks to Chris Roland for 20 years of service as our color guard and winter guard coach.  He has provided leadership and stability for hundreds of participants over the years and served as a mentor to coaches throughout the region.

Spring Sports – Spectator Information

A schedule of events is available on our athletic website. Games held in the stadium are available online on the NFHS network. Tickets for events in the gym are available online at GoFan and at the ticket booth. Regular season games are $7 for adults and $5 for students. Backpacks, as well as outside food or drinks, are not permitted. Students in middle school or below need to be accompanied by their parent/guardian for admission to sporting events. There is no charge for regular season tennis, baseball, and softball games.

Intramural Futsal and Boys Volleyball

All students are welcome to drop in for intramural futsal on Tuesdays and boys volleyball on Mondays and Wednesdays from 3:30-4:20 pm beginning March 16. These opportunities will be held in the gym. No physical or registration is needed.

Looking Ahead – Fall 2026 Sports 

Fall 2026 sports will begin on Monday, August 3, for cheer, volleyball, field hockey, and JV/V football. Freshmen football and cross country will likely begin Monday, August 10. Dance team tryouts will be on May 19 (with clinics on May 14 and May 18). The start date for golf (no earlier than July 30) and girls flag football (no earlier than August 17) have not yet been finalized. Sign up for www.teamapp.com under YHS – ‘sport name’ (i.e., – YHS – field hockey or YHS – football) for potential optional off-season opportunities this spring and summer.

Reminder: All students must pass five credit-earning courses for the 2025-26 school year to be eligible for Fall 2026 sports.

Club of the Week – Young Women Lead

The YHS club of the week is The Young Women Lead club is a place to uplift and empower young women through discussions, lessons and activities on women’s health, politics and culture.  All students are welcome. See Ms. Graver for more information.

Upcoming Home Events

Where to find Athletics Information

Athletic Website – www.yorktownsports.org

Athletic Twitter – @yhssports

Athletic Instagram – @yhssports

Athletic Specific Sport Information – www.teamapp.com

Athletic Registration – https://yorktownhs-ar.rschooltoday.com/

SENIOR UPDATES

Be sure to bookmark the Seniors website, which is linked on the Yorktown HS home page under Quicklinks and loaded with information for senior year.

Senior Experience

The application for Senior Experience is now closed. Ms. Mahan and Mr. Scholla have begun reviewing applications and will notify candidates whether or not they have been accepted in mid to late April.

A few dates to note:

– Senior Experience Kick Off Meeting on 5/15

– Senior Experience from 5/18 to 6/8

– Senior Experience Seminar on 6/9

Senior Dues

Senior class dues have increased to $85.00 beginning January 1, 2026. Senior families can pay their class dues using this link. All students are expected to contribute to class dues. Students will be unable to participate in Senior activities such as Senior Experience, Prom, Senior Picnic, and Graduation.

Prom

Prom will be held on Friday, May 29, at the Westin in Ballston.  Tickets will be on sale beginning May 11 online and during lunches. Tickets cost $40 per person.  Seniors must pay senior dues and satisfy any outstanding obligations (i.e., sports uniforms, computer accessories, Yondr pouch, etc) prior to purchasing a Prom ticket or departing on Senior Experience.

Graduation

Looking ahead for graduation planning – Yorktown’s graduation will take place at DAR Constitution Hall in Washington, D.C., on Wednesday, June 10th at 3:00 PM. Each student will receive 5 guest tickets to be distributed with the caps and gowns at graduation rehearsal.  Families anticipating needing more tickets should contact peers, as we do not anticipate having additional tickets due to the size of the senior class.

Graduation Announcements

Graduation announcement cards are typically sent to extended family and close friends to share the exciting news of your upcoming graduation (they are not an invitation to attend). If you wish to order graduation announcements or any other senior memorabilia, please visit the Herff Jones Virginia website and search for Yorktown High School.

TECHNOLOGY CORNER

AI in Education Panel Meeting

Join Arlington Public Schools for a community panel (click here to view flyer) on Tuesday, April 7th, 2026, at Wakefield High School (6:00 PM – 7:30 PM). Alongside Superintendent Dr. Francisco Durán and a group of industry experts, we will explore how AI is reshaping public education—from classroom innovation and workforce readiness to critical conversations on ethics, privacy, and equity.To register please click here! 

Laptop Reminders for Testing Season

As we approach the testing season following Spring Break, we want to ensure that all students are prepared for success by having their laptops in peak operating condition. It is essential that students arrive at school each morning with a fully charged device to avoid any technical interruptions during the day. Additionally, please make it a habit to restart your laptop at least once every seven days; this ensures that all critical system updates are processed and that the device remains fast and responsive.

If you are experiencing any technical issues, please do not wait until testing begins to seek help. Instead, visit your assigned Instructional Technology Coordinator (ITC) as soon as possible. Students with last names A–K should report to Mr. Opperhauser in Room 279, and students with last names L–Z should see Ms. Moten in Room 287. Taking these small steps now will ensure that everyone is ready to go when we return from the break.

UPCOMING DATES

See YHS Calendar or the APS Calendar for more information.

• Monday, March 30-Friday, April 3, 2026 – Spring Break
• Monday, April 13, 2026 – No school for students, grade preparation day
• April 21, 2026 – No school for students, voting day